Punch card printing mechanism



June 25, 1957 H. e. ZIMMERMAN 2,796,829

PUNCH CARD PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HALE G. Z/MMERMAN A TTORNEYLS' June 25, 1957 ZlMMERMAN 2,796,829

PUNCH CARD PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 PR/N T U 0 INVENTOR. O l-MLE G. Z/MMERMAN. 8 (\I w/W A T TORNE VS June 25, 1957 H. G. ZIMMERMAN PUNCH CARD PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HALE G. Z/MMERMAN A T TORNE Y5 United States Patciit Ui PUNCH CARD PRINTING MECHANISM Hale G. Zimmerman, Mountain View, Calif., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 12, 1955, Serial No. 527,993

11 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) The present invention relates to punch card printing mechanism, and pertains more particularly to mechanism for translating data bits consisting of holes punched in selected spaces along predetermined columnar zones thereof in a punch card, into impulses for setting a printing wheel in a desired position for printing.

It is common practice to use punched cards to control the printing of data, and various mechanisms have been devised for moving a type carrying member having a plurality of type characters thereon to a required printing position by impulse generating means controlled by a card with holes punched at selected locations therein.

I have now devised a simple mechanism which, when controlled by holes punched at. selected locations in a punch card, will control the transmission of impulses from an impulse generating member to a type wheel, so that any selected one of a plurality of type characters arranged in predetermined order around the periphery of the type wheel may be brought into register with a surface upon which the selected character is to beprinted.

The invention alsoprovides a simple and improved buckling column clutch, which may be moved from a normal, operative condition to an actuated, inoperative condition by punch-card controlled means.

A further object of the invention is to employ data bits, indicated by a punching or leaving unpunched of predetermined areas of a data card, to move into printing position a required type character of a plurality thereof distributed around the periphery of a type wheel.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic, vertical, sectional view through a punch-card controlled printing mechanism embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a type wheel diagram showing one arrangement of type characters around the periphery of a type wheel, zones and sub-zones of the wheel being indicated on the diagram.

Fig. 3 is an unrolled, or straight-line diagram of the peripheral cam face of the cam wheel shown in Fig. 1, the relative timing position of a punchingin each row of a punch card being indicated for its corresponding zone of the cam.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged, fragmentary, sectional views of the buckling column clutch shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in various conditions of operation.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a modified form of buckling column clutch.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of portions of the punch card and the printing tape shown in Fig. 1, the illustrated card being punched in column 1 for printing the numeral 1, and in column 28 for printing the letter N. p

In general, the invention pertains to a'mechanism A using data 'bits consistingof. holes 20 .punched in selected areas of a well known type of punch-card B, and to a 2,796,829 Patented June 2 5,, 1957 buckling column clutch C for controlling the transmission of impulses from a cam wheel 21 to a type wheel 22 (Fig. 1) for setting the type wheel in a required position for printing. p

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the type wheel control mechanism A comprises a plurality of identical type wheels 22 journaled for individual rotative adjustment on a common shaft 23. One type wheel 22 and its clutch controlled mechanism shown in Fig. 1 is provided for each column 24 of punch spaces 25 (Fig. 9) of the punch cards B to be used therewith. Since the type wheels 22 and their actuating mechanism are identical, one only thereof is illustrated and described herein.

Each type wheel 22 has a ratchet wheel 27 afiixed coaxially thereto, and a spring pawl 28 is mounted to advance the ratchet wheel 27 a distance of one of its teeth 29 upon each reciprocation of the pawl. Type characters 30 are arranged in predetermined sequence about the periphery of the type wheel 22, and are spaced circumferentially on the-type .wheel so as to be advanced one type space for each onevtooth advance of the ratchet.

The pawl 28 is connected to one end 31a of a Bowden wire31, the otherend 31b of .which is connected to one end of a thin, narrow clutch tape 32 of springy sheet material such ,as'spring steel. The tape 32 is slidablymounted in aligned slits 33 and 34 in abutments 37 and 38 on a block 39. The end portion 31b of the Bowden wire 31 is biased endwise toward the left, as illustrated in Figs, 1, and 4 to 7 inclusive, by a coil spring 40 which encircles the wire 31 and is held in compression between a collar 41, secured to the wire 31, and an outer abutment 42 on the base block 39. i

The tape portion 32a lying between the abutments 37 and 38 is formed before being mounted in the slits 33 and 34 so as normally to bow downwardly toward the block 39 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. -In such normal condition, the downwardly bowed tape portion 32a bears against the block 39 and thus is supported against further downward bowing or buckling. When the tape in its downwardly bowed condition is subjected to end thrust by an oscillating bar 44 to which the tape 32 is connected, this end thrust is transmitted through the tape 32 and the Bowden wire 31 to the pawl 28, thereby advancing the ratchet wheel 27 one tooth and the type wheel 22 one type space 22a. The left hand end of the tape is inserted in a hole 45 in the bar 44, and is anchored in position therein by a set screw 47.

The oscillating bar 44 is mounted to extend transversely between theupper ends of a pair of identical lever arms 48, only one of which is shown, mounted one on each side of the machine A. The arms 48 are pivoted co-axially at 49 on a frame member 50 for oscillation about their common axis. The bar 44 is biased by a spring 51 held in tension between each lever arm 48 and a frame member 50 .to exert an'endwise thrust on the tape 32 in a direction opposite to, and substantially stronger than,"the combined thrust of the springs 40 on the individualtapes 32';

A cam follower tooth 52 is provi V p ed'o neach lever arm 48, and is'urged by the springs 51'into camming I engagement with the peripheral cam face '53 of the cam wheel 21, mounted adjacent .the lever iarm'48. The peripheral radius 54 (Fig.1);of1the-mean, or normal, circularly curved portions 55 of'the cam face '53 is such thatwhen the cam follower tooth52 is supported on'said' mean cam face portions asin Figs.;1 and .5, the tape 32 is subjected to an: endwise .compressive'stress by the op,- positely acting springs 40 and 51 tending to reduce ,it to less than its full lengthn This compressive. foi'ce preve the a e f om s a en g a d thus a wsthe portion 32a to assume a bowed shape,'either downwardly as shown'in Figs. and '4, or upwardly as shown in Figs. and 6.

When the cam wheel 21 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 85 in, Fig. 1 as .the cam .follower tooth 52. registers with each successive cam depression 58 as shown in Fig. 4 the springs 51 urge the bar 44 toward the right as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby subjectingthe tape 32 to an endwise thrust impulse.

A coil spring 72, held in compression between the Z- lever 59 and the block 39, urges the Z-lever rotatively in a clockwise direction as shown in the drawings toward its clutch-releasing position of Fig. 5. As long as the star wheel 70, riding on the punch card B, encounters no holes 20' in the card, the Z-lever 59 will be held in its unactuated, card-supported condition of Fig. 1, and the portion 32a of the tape will remain in its downwardlybowed operative condition of Fig. 1.

When, however, the star wheel 70 encounters a hole 20 punched in the card B, and drops therein as shown in Fig. 5, the spring 72 urges the Z-lever 59 rotatively in a clockwise direction to its actuated position of Fig. 5, thereby raising the central portion 32a of the tape above the abutment slits 33 and 34 in which it is mounted. This actuation of the Z-lever causes the tape portion 32a to snap upwardly to its free-buckling condition as shown in solid lines in Fig. 5, and in broken lines in Figs. 6 and 7, where it remains until stretched to straightened condition as shown in solid lines in Fig. 7 by engagement of the cam follower tooth 52 with one of two cam elevations 73 and 74 (Fig. 1) on the cam face 53.

After each such straightening of the tape, its downwardly curved bias mentioned previously herein, causes it to resume its normal, downwardly bowed, operative condition of Figs. 1 and 4.

The configuration of the cam face 53 and the arrangement of the punch space 25 of the punch card B to be used therewith are directly related. to each other, as will be made apparent later herein. The punch card B, although of a well known type, will first be described briefly (Fig. 9).

Each punch card B has one clipped corner 75 to facilitate checking the position of the card in a stack 77 thereof (Fig. 1). The cards B are fed through the mechanism A (Fig. 1) in a direction transversely to their lengths and with their clipped corners 75 last, i. e., in the direction of the arrows 78 in Figs. 1 and 9. a

The illustrated punch card B has twelve rows 79 of punch spaces 25, the punch spaces 25 of the various rows being arranged in the columns 24. The first nine rows of punch spaces from the bottom of the card are numbered in inverse sequence from 9 to 1, and each punch space 25 has imprinted thereon the number of the row in which it is located.

Above row 1 is a row of punch spaces numbered 0, and above the latter are two un-numbered rows of punch spaces, which will be referred to herein as rows 11 and 12 respectively as designated in parentheses at the left oftheir respective rows in Fig. 9. A hole 20 punched in any one of the punch spaces 25 on the card is a data bit which controls the setting of the type wheel 22 associated with the column 24 in which the hole is punched.

The punch space columns 24 are numbered consecutively at 80 and 81 (Fig. 9) from left to right. There When the :tape 32 is in its normal, downwardly-bowed position of Figs. 1 and 4,

. p 4 would, therefore, be eighty such columns on the card illustrated in Fig. 9.

Each punch card B is guided through the mechanism A so that a predetermined "column 24 of punch spaces 25 is traversed by a predetermined star wheel 70 which controls one of the buckling column tape clutches 32 and thereby the type wheel 22 associated therewith.

Cam zones 83 (Fig. .1) have been indicated by broken lines 84 on the cam wheel 21, and these cam zones are numbered to correspond with the rows 79 of punch spaces 25 on the punch card-B." Starting with the cam elevation 74, and reading in the direction in which the peripheral cam face 53 is moved past the cam follower tooth 52 when the cam wheel is rotated in the direction of the arrow 85 in Fig. 1, the first ninecam zones indicated on the cam wheel 21 are numbered in inverse sequence from 9 to 1" inclusive. Each of these first nine cam zones has four cam depressions 58 in the periphery thereof. Therefore, as each 'of these firstnine numbered cam zones 83 is moved past the cam follower tooth 52 on the lever arm 48 by the rotation of the cam wheel 21, the lever arm 48 will be oscillated four times, and thereby will transmit four thrust impulses to the lefthand end 32b of the clutch tape 32.

As each card B (Fig. 1) is fed in the direction of the arrow 78 in Fig. 1 from the stack 77 thereof through the machine A and beneath the star wheels 70, the cam wheel 21 is rotated in timed relation therewith. The timing of the cam wheel 21 with the feed of the cards B is such that as each star wheel 70 reaches each successive punch space 25 on a card, the cam follower tooth 52 will rest on the circularly curved or normal portion 83a of the correspondingly numbered cam zone 83. This relation is shown best in the unrolled or straightline diagram of Fig. 3.

When the star wheel 70 enters a hole 20 thereby allowing the spring 72 to swing its Z-lever 59 to its springactuated position of Fig. 5, the clutch tape portion 32a associated therewith will be raised to its free-buckling, inoperative position shown in solid lines in Figs. 5 and 6 before the cam follower tooth 52 can enter the first cam depression 58 in that particular cam zone. T hereafter the tape 32 will remain in its upwardly bowed, inoperative position until it is straightened and allowed to spring down to operative position by the engagement of the cam follower tooth 52 with the cam elevation 73.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the type wheel of Fig. 1, and consists of three concentric rows 88, 89 and 90 of letters, numerals and other type characters. The outermost row 88 shows a specific arrangement of type characters 30 on a type wheel 22 (Fig. 1). The inner row 90 represents zones 91 of the type wheel corresponding to the zones 83 from #9 to #1 inclusive of the cam wheel 21, and punch card B, plus an additional zone N. Zone N of the inner row 90 of Fig. 2 means No holes punched in any card row from 9 to 1.97

Each of the type wheel zones in row 90 from #9 to #1 and N is divided into four sub-zones 92 as indicated on the intermediate circular row 89 of Fig. 2. The four sub-zones 92 of each zone 91 are designated successively 0, 11, 12, and N. The designations 0, 11 and 12, refer to the correspondingly designated rows 79 of punch spaces on the card, and zones 83 of the cam wheel 21, while the letter N means no holes punched in any of the final three card rows.

Each type wheel sub-zone 92 has an arcuate span equal to the advance of the type wheel a distance of one tooth 29 of the ratchet wheel 27 and one type space 22a on the type wheel. The curved arrows 93 in Figs. 1 and 2 indicate the direction of rotation of the type wheel.

The starting point or normal position of the type wheel 22 is with the first sub-zone 0 in zone #9 on the type wheel located opposite the printing surface 94 of Fig. 2.

In Fig.2 this first subzone has the type character Z thereon.

With type wheels 22 bearing type characters 30 arranged as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, the operation of the mechanism A illustrated in Fig. 1 will be explained for two columns of the card B of Fig. 9, namely, column #1 and column #28.

Referring first to column #1, the only hole punched therein is the hole20a in row #1. As the card B is fed through the mechanism A of Fig. 1, the star Wheel 70 associated with column #1 traverses the punch spaces 25 of this column from the bottom to the top. Since punch spaces #9 to #2 in this column are unpunched, the star wheel will remain supported on the card in its unactuated condition of Figs. 1 and 4 while it traverses the punch spaces of rows 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. When the star wheel reaches row #1, however, it drops into the hole 20:: therein, and the spring 72 swings the Z-lever 59 to its actuated position of Figs. 5 and 6, thereby throwing the clutch tape portion 32a upwardly to its free-buckling, inoperative position of Figs. 6 and 7.

As the card is fed through the machine and the star wheel 70 moves over the punch spaces of rows #9 to #2 inclusive in column #1, the cam wheel 21, turning in synchronism with the movement of the card as explained previously herein, carries the cam zones from #9 to #2 inclusive past the cam follower tooth 52. The four depressions 58 in each cam zone cause the lever arm 48 and the oscillating bar 44 thereon to oscillate four times. This transmits four effective thrust impulses per cam zone from the oscillating bar 44 through the operatively positioned clutch tape 32 and the Bowden wire 31 to the ratchet wheel 27, thereby advancing type wheel zones from #9 to #2 inclusive past the printing surface 94 and positioned sub-zone of zone #1 of the type wheel opposite the printing surface 94.

At this point the hole 20a in card row #1 causes actuation of the Z-lever 59 to throw the tape portion 32a upwardly so that the remaining four oscillations of the oscillating bar 44 as the cam follower tooth 52 traverses cam zone #1 simply cause an ineffective upward buckling of the tape. portion 320 and these last four thrust impulses are thus not transmitted to the pawl 28. The type wheel 22 therefore remains momentarily positioned with sub-zone 0 of zone #1 in register with the printing surface 94.

As the star Wheel 70 passes between row 1 and row 0 of the card B, the cam elevation 73, which lies between cam zones #1 and #0, engages the cam follower tooth 52, and straightens the clutch tape 32, allowing it to return to its normal, downwardly-bowed, operative position of Fig. 1.

Since no holes are punched in any of the final three rows 0, 11 or 12 in column #1 of the card B illustrated in Fig. 9, the clutch tape 32 will remain in its downwardly-bowed, operative position, and the single notches 97, 98 and 99 in the last three cam zones 0, 11 and 12 will cause the pawl' 28 to be reciprocated three times, thereby advancing the type wheel 22 a distance of three more sub-zones to bring sub-zone N of Zone 1, bearing the type character numeral 1 thereon (Fig. 2) into register with the printing surface 94.

After cam zone #12 has passed the cam follower tooth 52, and before zone #9 again reaches it, the printing means (not shown) is actuated to print the type characters 30 which have been brought into register with the printing surface 94, after which all of the type wheels are restored to their starting positions of Fig. 2.

In column #28 of the card B illustrated in Fig. 9, holes 2% and 20c are punched in rows and #11, respectively. As the cam wheel 21 rotates, and the card B is fed in timed relation with it through the mechanism A (Fig. l) as explained previously herein, four effective thrust impulses per cam zone are imparted to the tape 32 and through it to the pawl28 for each of theicarn further impulses will be imparted through the Bowden Wire 31 to the pawl 28, and the type wheel remains momentarily with sub-zone 0 of zone 5 opposite the printing surface 94.

As the cam elevation 73 located between cam zones #9 and #0 passes beneath the follower tooth 5 2,it straightens the tape 32 and allows it to return to its normal, downwardly-bowed, operative position.

As cam zone 0 passes the cam follower tooth 52 the single cam depression 97 of cam zone 0 actuates the lever arm 48, transmitting a single thrust impulse through the tape 32 and the wire 31 to the pawl 28. This advances the type wheel 32 one more sub-zone 92 to bring sub-zone ll of zone #5 bearing the type character N thereon into register with the printing surface 94. The hole 200 punched in row #11 of this column #28 then allows the star wheel 70 to drop therein, again throwing the clutch tape portion 32a upwardly to its freebuckling, inoperative position of Fig. 7 as zones 11 and 12 of the cam Wheel pass the cam follower tooth 52. This leaves the type character N.in position for printing as row #12 of the card completes its movement past the star wheels 70. Should more than one hole be punched in any of the columns in the 9 to 1 card rows or in the 0, 11, 12 card rows, only the first one thereof will be effective, since thereafter the tape 32 will be'in its upwardly bowed condition until reset by one of the cam elevations 73 or 74.

When the rotation of the cam wheel 21 has carried zone #12 past the cam follower tooth 52, the printing operation is performed and the type wheelsare returned to their starting positions by conventional means, not shown. In addition to the printing and type wheel restoring means, the feed mechanism for the cards, and the means for synchronizing the feed of the cards with the rotation of the cam wheels are well known. Since they form no part of the present invention, a description thereof will be omitted to avoid unnecessary complication of the present specification.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8 a thrust pin 102 is substituted for the buckling tape 32 described previously herein. The thrust pin 102 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of a spring biased lever arm 103 similar to the lever arm 48 illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The Bowden wire 104, which is similar to the wire 31 illustrated in Fig. 1 described previously herein, is biased by a spring 105 toward the left, while the thrust pin 102 is urged toward the right, counter to the thrust of the spring 105 by the stronger urge of the lever arm 103 which may be similar to the lever arm 48 of Fig. 1.

In its normal, operative position the thrust pin 102 18 in endwise abutting engagement with the Bowden wire 104 as shown in solid lines in Fig. 8 to hold the Bowden wire endwise toward the right with the spring engaging collar, 109 thereon clear of the abutment 110. In this condition of the parts, oscillation of the lever arm 103 transmits efiective thrust impulses to the Bowden wire 104 and thence to a ratchet and type wheel (not shown) similar to those, 27 and 22, respectively, shown in Fig. 1 and described previously herein. When the star wheel 11'1 drops into a punched hole 20d in the punch card 112, the Z-lever 113, which is similar to the Z-1ever 59 of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, is swung in a clockwise direction by its spring 114 thereby lifting the thrust pin 102 to its inoperative, broken-line position of Fig. 8.

When the free end 102a of the thrust pin 102is thus raised upwardly clear of the-Bowden wire 114, the spring 105 moves the Bowden wire axially to its broken line po'sition'of Fig. 8, overlapping the thrust pin 102.

The parts remain in this overlapping, inoperative condition until restored to their operative solid-line condi-' tion of Fig. 8 by an outward movement of the lever arm 103 caused by a cam elevation such as the elevation 73 or 74 of Fig. 1.

The operation of the modified clutch mechanism D of Fig. 8 will be readily understood from the description of the operation of the -buckling tape clutch C of the other figures described previously herein.

The present invention provides a fast, positive acting, buckling clutch controlled printing mechanism which is capable of being mounted in a very narrow space which is essential in printing by the use of punch cards.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

I claim:-

1. In a punch card printing mechanism, having an oscillating member, a rotatively mounted type Wheel, and thrust actuated means for rotatively moving the type wheel in predetermined increments; thrust means interposed between the oscillating member and the thrust actuated means, said thrust means comprising a' support, guide means on said support, a thin pre-bowed tape of springy material slidably mounted adjacent each end thereof in said guide means, means supporting a medial portion of the tape in its pre-bowed condition, spring means biasing the tape endwise toward a buckled condition, and a spring-biased, card-supported, tape actuating member mounted adjacent the medial tape support means for movement from card-supported condition free of the tape, to spring actuated condition with one portion thereof beyond the slidably mounted tape end portions, thereby thrusting the tape away from its medial support means to oppositely bowed, free-buckling condition.

2. In a punch card printing mechanism, having a thrust impulse generating means, a rotatively mounted type wheel, and thrust actuated means for rotatively moving the type wheel in predetermined increments; thrust means interposed between the impulse generating means and the thrust actuated means, said thrust means comprising a support, guide means on said support, a thin pro-bowed tape of springy material slidably mounted for endwise movement in said guide means, the convex side of the pre-bowed tape being mounted in sliding engagement with said guide means, and a tape actuating member movably mounted adjacent a medial portion of the tape and movable transversely of the tape from an unactu'ated position free of the tape, to an actuated position, thereby thrusting the tape away from the guide means to oppositely bowed, free-buckling condition.

3. In a punch card prinnting mechanism, a pivotally mounted lever arm, cam means opera-tively connected to the lever arm for oscillating the latter in recurring cycles, a thrust member connected at one end thereof to a free end of the lever, an intermediate portion of said thrust member being free for lateral displacement, means transversely biasing said intermediate portion of the thrust member toward a predetermined direction, a support element mounted in supporting engagement with the side of the thrust member toward which it is biased, thrust impulse transmitting means connected to the other end of the thrust member from the lever, spring means biasing said other end of the thrust member toward the lever to resist straightening of the thrust memberja card-supported member movably mounted adjacent the supported medial portion of the thrust member, a spring urging the card supported member toward the supported side of the thrust member and movable a sutficient distanceto move themedial portion of the thrust member transversely away'from' itssupport to free-buckling condition, said card supported member having a portion thereof positioned free of the thrust member when in card supported condition, a portion of the card supported member being located and formed to enter a punch hole in a punch card supporting said member to free the card supported element for spring-biased movement, thereby moving the medial portion of the thrust member transversely of its length to free buckling condition.

4. In a punch card printing mechanism, a pivot-ally mounted lever arm, a cam follower on said lever arm, a cam mounted adjacent said cam follower, spring means biasing the lever arm in a direction to urge the cam follower against the cam, a pro-bowed tape connected at one end thereof to the lever at a point spaced from its pivotal axis, a pair of guide elements slidably embracing the tape and spaced apart endwise of the tape clear of a pre-bowed portion thereof, a support element mounted in slidable supporting engagement with the convex side of the pre-bowed tape portion, thrust impulse transmitting means connected to the other end of the tape from the lever, spring means biasing said other end of the tape toward the lever to resist straightening of the tape, a card-supported element movably mounted adjacent a medial portion of the convex side of the pre-bowed tape portion, a spring urging the card supported element toward the tape and movable a sufiicient distance to bow the pro-bowed tape portion to oppositely bowed, freebuckling condition, said card supported element being supported free of the tape by a punch card, the cardsupported element being located and formed to enter a punch hole in a :punch card supporting said element to free the card supported element for spring-biased movement whereby the pre-bowed tape portion is moved to its oppositely bowed, free-buckling condition.

5. In a punch card printing mechanism, controlled thrust impulse generating means, thrust impulse transmitting means spaced from said impulse generating means, a thrust member interposed between said impulse generating and transmitting means, a support element mounted in supporting engagement with one side of the thrust member, thereby preventing buckling of the latter toward said one side, means biasing the thrust member endwise, thereby resisting straightening of the thrust member, card-supported means movably mounted adjacent the supported side of the thrust member, means biasing the card supported means toward the supported side of the thrust member, said card supported means having a portion thereof supported on a punch card, thereby holding the card supported means free of the thrust member, the card-supported portion being located and formed to enter a punch hole in a punch card supporting the card supported means to free the latter means for biased movement toward the thrust member, thereby moving the latter away from its side support element to free-buckling condition.

, 6. In a punch card printing mechanism controlled thrust impulse generating means, a thrust member connected to the thrust impulse generating means for end- Wise movement thereby, a support element mounted in supporting engagement with a side of the thrust member, the latter being biased in a direction transversely of its length toward the side support element, thrust impulse transmitting means connected to the other end of the thrust member from that connected to the impulse generating means, means biasing said other end of the thrust member toward the impulse generating means to resist straightening of the thrust, member, ,a card-supported member mounted with a portion thereof ,positioned to traverse apredetermined plurality of punch spaces in a punch card, means biasing the card supported member toward a card and toward the supported side of the thrust member, a portion of the card supported member being located and formed to enter a punch hole in a punch card to free the card supported member for spring-biased movement toward the thrust member, thereby moving the latter to its free-buckling condition, and means for tensioning the thrust member at selected intervals whereby the transverse biasing of the thrust member returns it toward the support element.

7. In a punch card printing mechanism, in combination with recurring thrust impulse generating means, a single, rigid thrust pin connected at one end thereof to the thrust impulse generating means, a thrust actuated member spaced from the impulse generating means and positioned for thrust engagement by the other end of the thrust pin, means biasing the thrust actuated member and the thrust pin toward each other to a distance less than the length of the thrust pin, means biasing the thrust pin towards one side thereof means supporting said one side of the thrust pin to retain the latter in thrust engagement with the thrust actuated member, and a throwout member operatively engaging the same side of the thrust pin as the side support and movable from unactuated condition clear of the thrust pin when the latter is in thrust engagement with the thrust actuated member, to actuated condition thereby moving said other end of the thrust pin transversely out of thrust engagement with the thrust actuated member.

8. In a punched card printing mechanism having an oscillating member, a rotatively mounted type wheel, thrust actuated means for rotatively advancing said type wheel, thrust means interposed between said oscillating member and said thrust actuated means to suspend advancement of said type wheel when disengaged, card supported sensing means to disengage said thrust means when said sensing means is not supported by a card at predetermined timed intervals, card feeding means synchronous with said oscillating member to feed a card for supporting said sensing means, means under the control of said oscillating member to engage said thrust means at predetermined timed intervals.

9. In a punch card printing mechanism, a transversely biased thrust member, means guiding spaced portions of said thrust member for endwise movement, a support element mounted in supporting engagement with the side of the thrust member toward which the latter is biased thereby preventing buckling of the thrust member toward said side, thrust generating means connected to one end of the thrust member, thrust transmitting means connected to the other end of the thrust member, means biasing said other end of the thrust member toward the thrust generating means to resist straightening of the thrust member, a throw-out member movably mounted adjacent the supported side of the thrust member, means biasing the throw-out member toward the supported side of the thrust member, a card supported member mounted on the clutch throw-out member for support on a punch mark zone of a punch card to retain the throw-out '10 member against the bias of the biasing means, a portion of said card supported member being located and formed to enter a punch hole in a punch card to free the throwout member for biased movement toward the thrust member, thereby moving the latter away from its support to its free-buckling condition.

10. In a punch card printing mechanism, in combination with recurring thrust impulse generating means, a single, rigid thrust member pivotally connected at one end thereof to the thrust impulse generating means, a thrust actuated member spaced from the impulse generating means and positioned for thrust engagement by the other end of the thrust member in a predetermined position of the latter, means biasing the thrust actuated member and the thrust impulse generating member toward each other to a distance less than the length of the thrust member, means supporting a side of the thrust member against transverse displacement when the thrust member is in thrust engagement with the thrust actuated member, a throw-out member mounted adjacent the same side of the thrust member as the side supporting means, said throw-out member being movable from unactuated condition clear of the thrust member when the latter is in supported thrust engagement with the thrust actuated member, to actuated condition thereby moving said other end of the thrust member transversely clear of the thrust actuated member, and means acting at predetermined intervals for separating the impulse generating means and the thrust actuated member by a distance greater than the length of the thrust member to receive the latter therebetween.

11. For transmitting a thrust impulse from an oscillating member to a thrust actuated member spaced therefrom; thrust transmitting means comprising a thin, prebowed tape of springy material interposed lengthwise between the oscillating member and the thrust actuated member, a support member supporting the convex side side of the tape in its pre-bowed condition, spring means biasing the tape endwise toward a buckled condition, buckling means mounted adjacent the supported side of the tape and having an un'actuated position clear of the tape whereby the tape transmits thrust impulses from the oscillating member to the thrust actuated member, said buckling means being movable transversely of the tape to actuated condition thereby moving the supported medial portion of the tape away from its support and beyond a position of alignment with its two end portions to oppositely bowed, free-buckling condition. 

